New: The Sidelines

ROISON WANTED TO KNOW what Guide's problem was. She couldn't figure it out. It was as if things had changed, but they were still the same. It was throwing her off, pissing her off, and making her head hurt. He was still the same old Guide, but he wasn't as attentive anymore outside of the bedroom. Whatever had brought that on was not something she knew how to answer, but, damn it, she was going to find out.
It was pissing her off. He was totally yummy and yummy, and even worse! He was yummy. In and outside the bedroom, but it was like talking to a brick wall nowadays. All smiles and nods, like he hadn’t a care in the world. Well, Roison was nine hundred years old. Just getting smiles and nods wasn’t going to work for her anymore.
The problem was, she couldn’t find the blood-sucking man. He was off her radar. He wasn’t even answering her calls for him through his power - and she knew he could hear her.
She stalked down the hall, decked in leather because it was warm and it was fun, asking very stutter-y students if they’d seen him. She’d been told he was in the Mess. Why she hadn’t thought about that considering it was Lunch, she didn’t know, but there he was, sitting at the table of teachers in an unusual white shirt.
She frowned. He never wore white. And he never sat at the teacher’s table. He always sat with Little Lamb and her buddies. What the hell was going on? It was seriously ticking her off. That and the fact that he was schmoozing up to Pollacks - a cute little teacher in charge of teaching pixies about flowers they could and couldn’t eat - was not sitting well with her.
What the hell was he thinking?! Guide was hers. No one else’s. Didn’t he get that already? They’d had sex, hadn’t they? They were dating, weren’t they? Did none of that matter to him? So she had nearly killed him a century ago when they’d met, so what? She was a forgive and forget kind of girl. Did this mean he was still holding a grudge? She was wolfed-out she couldn’t exactly control her claws.
Sniffing back angry and frustrated tears, Roison turned away from the image of glowing happiness that seemed to surround her boyfriend and that teacher - since when had he smiled like that? - and went to Pheobe’s table instead, sitting down with her back to the mooning not-so-couple.
“U-Um,” Pheobe started hesitantly. “Roison? Everything okay. . ?”
Roison grabbed a slice of meat off the tray they always had in the middle and shoved it into her mouth. “Just ducky, Little Lamb.”
The table grew quiet as they exchanged looks, then glanced behind her at Guide and his new flirting partner. Roison narrowed her eyes on them. They knew something. They knew something and they were going to tell her. She would make sure of it.
Clearing her throat, she smiled at them, crossing her arms and leaning back, knowing she’d get the information she wanted one way or the other. “So. . . You guys wanna tell me what’s going on?”
Once again, they al shared a look, seemed to silently agree on something and then shook their heads, stuffing their mouths full of food so they couldn’t talk.
Roison frowned. “Hey! That’s not fair! What’s going on?”
Pheobe shook her head. “Nothing, really. . . Why? Is something wrong?”
Okay, fine. She’d play the game. “Guide’s ignoring me. Wanna tell why?”
Taiyo’s brows went up. “Really? Like really? What happened?”
He was leaning forward, obviously interested. Whatever was going on, this little runt knew more than he was letting on. Hell, it was probably his fault.
Roison huffed. “Don’t know. He’s the same during sex, but after, he turns cold. It’s like he doesn’t care unless we’re screwing.”
“Okay,” Cade grimaced, his nose wrinkling. “That was not an image I needed.”
“Like ever,” Colleen agreed.
“Way too much information, there, Roison,” Taiyo put in. “But that’s weird. Hasn’t it always been like that?”
Roison’s head snapped back in surprise. “What do you mean?”
Taiyo crossed his arms, frowning. “Well, from what I’ve seen, you’re not exactly lovey-dovey for a couple. I thought sex was all there was to it.”
Elliot spoke up then, his voice quiet, but his eyes serious. “Are you saying there’s more to it than just sex?”
Roison was taken aback. Her mouth opened, then shut. “What the hell?” What was there between them besides sex? Nothing, really. She liked him as a person - which is quite a thing to say considering they’d hated each other little over a hundred years ago - but wasn’t that all there was to it?
Pheobe spilled something on herself, frowning. Roison watched as Cade, Cornelius and Gunner all handed her napkins, making her smile and blush at the same time. Giving them a small “thank you”, she considerately took all the napkins they offered and wiped at the stain as they tried to help by giving suggestions as to how to get it out.
It was nice to watch them and, whether Pheobe noticed or not, there was so much love there that it was almost suffocating. It wasn’t intolerable, but it was odd watching three men with affection fawn over one girl. It didn’t happen often, and it was the first time that Roison had seen something like it. It bothered her that she and Guide weren’t like that. She wanted to be and she wondered what it took to get to that place.
With jealousy roaring through her, Roison scraped her chair back and stalked out of the Mess without a word.
She had to get some air. She had to do something to figure out what was missing between her and Guide. The sex was great, the time they spent together was fun, so what else was there?
Roison turned out of the school and into the crisp night, her feet sinking into the snow as she headed towards the forest. She needed the trees around her. They were calming and the smell of nature might help.

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GUIDE CAUGHT UP TO ROISON just outside the line of trees by the fountain. He knew that if she disappeared behind that line, he would never find her.
He caught her arm and spun her, worry creasing his brow. “What’s wrong?”
Roison was angry, frustrated and the only time she wanted to walk was when she needed to sort something out. He wanted to help. Damn Taiyo’s plan, he wasn’t leaving her alone inside her head. Things got worse that way.
She scowled at him. Uh-oh. Not good. “Nothing.” She turned to head into the forest but he pulled her up short again.
“Roison, please,” Guide snapped. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
“I don’t know!” Her voice cracked like a whip around them and he knew that this was his fault. Damn Taiyo. Why the hell had he gone to kids for love advice? He should’ve just shot himself in the foot. Would have gotten more progress.
“I don’t know what’s wrong,” Roison repeated, her eyes angry on him. “I just know it was your fault!”
Guide blinked. Okay. . . That was new.
“My fault?” he asked, more curious than anything. “How is it my fault?”
Roison tried to yank her arm away, but he merely grabbed her other one. “Let me go!” she yelled.
“Not until you answer me.” Guide wasn’t one to be forceful, but he had to draw the line sometime. He couldn’t always be the nice guy.
She growled and he loved the feel of the way it rumbled up from her stomach to her chest and out her throat. “I told you I don’t know!”
“Not buying it,” he said easily. “Something’s bothering you. You said it was my fault, so tell me.”
She gritted her teeth, angry, saying nothing.
“Tell me, Roison,” he whispered, leaning closer to her.
She pulled her head back and away from them, her growl becoming louder. But still, she stayed silent.
“Roison,” he snapped, losing patience. “Why is it my fucking fault?”
“Because you were nice to that teacher!” she yelled, spinning away from him.
He let her go, perplexed. What the hell? She was angry because he’d been paying attention to Pollacks?
A slow smile spread on his lips as Roison began to pace, cursing him to all corners of the Earth. Holy hell, this was insane. Taiyo was freaking right. He was going to kiss that boy.
“You’re jealous,” he said smugly.
Roison stopped, looking at him with wide, angry eyes. Obviously, she’d just figured out what he’d seen all along. What he’d been trying to get her to tell him.
“N-No, I’m not!” She put out a hand as he stalked towards her. “Don’t come near me!”
She turned to run, but he caught her about the waist, pulled her close despite her struggles and curses. “Just say it, Roison. Tell me what you feel.” He buried his face in her hair and she stiffened. “Please. Tell me what we’re missing.”
Her breath sucked in, like he’d just said something important and she sagged against him in defeat. “N-Not unless you tell me first.”
He squeezed her tight, smiling. It was so like Roison to make him go first. “Alright. Have it your way.” He sucked in a deep breath, his heart pounding, hoping she didn’t reject him even though he knew she wouldn’t.
He turned her to face him and saw the fear in her wide eyes. It was scary for her, trusting someone completely, and he understood that more than anyone. He just hoped she wouldn’t run.
Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, he smiled softly. “Roison, I love you. I don’t know when it started or how, but there it is.” He smiled widely. “Your turn.”
She swallowed, cleared her throat, then swallowed again. Her cheeks flushed and her breath came and went in white clouds as he waited. Worry began to take over his system, but he clung to the hope, praying to a god he’d long stopped believing in that she’d finally tell him.
“I-” she stopped and his breath hitched. “I, um. . . I l-love you.” Her breath left in a rush and she laughed, seemingly ashamed of herself, her cheeks red in embarrassment. She looked up at him, her smile huge, as if she’d figured out that something she thought was hard was actually extremely easy.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she hugged him. “I do love you. That’s what was missing.”
Guide’s relief was enough to make his knees shake, but he ignored them, his arms tightening around her in a fierce hug as he picked her up and spun her around, laughing as she smacked him, yelling at him to put her down.
“Well,” a voice said, and Guide and Roison looked over to see Pheobe and her gang crouched down behind the fountain, watching them. Taiyo cocked a grin at them. “That was worth the cold.” They were all smiling as he waved a hand towards them. “Oh, don’t mind us. Just keep doing what you’re doing. We’re happy to be entertained.”
“Took you long enough, though, Guide,” Cade chided with a smile. “I would’ve had her within a couple hours instead of a couple days.”
Colleen elbowed him. “No one can be as smooth as you, bug brain.”
Elliot gripped Taiyo’s hand. “I’m glad everything worked out.”
Roison sputtered, even as Guide leaned in to kiss her. “This was all planned?!”
“Not really,” Taiyo called as they all stood. “Just the part where you admit you love him.”
Roison swore even as Guide closed his mouth over hers, happily kissing her until she was a pile of jelly.
“Eww,” Taiyo muttered.
“No kidding,” Colleen agreed. “Old people kissing. Ick.”
Guide didn’t care if they watched, or left. He was just happy that, for once, things had gone his way.